Some of the best big, dumb fun you are likely to see

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2013)

The creative maestro behind such films as 'The Devil's Backbone' and the masterpiece 'Pan's Labrynth', it is fair to say Guilermo del Toro is no stranger to dark, deep stories with heart and soul, so it is a surprise to see 'Pacific Rim' actually comes off rather light and fun.
To my surprise, the story of a future on Earth where mankind does regular battle with aliens, who attack from deep beneath the ocean via a bridge between their dimension and ours, lacks in development; the movie also falters with some awkward moments where the staging seems in need of a polish or a re-write. Performances are, for the most part pretty good, with a highlight being del Toro regular and fan favourite Ron Pearlman, his introduction clearly indicating how aware they are of how popular a casting choice he is. To the negative, most notable are, strangely, the male leads, who seem, at best going through motions, or at worst unbelievable.
All that said, however, del Toro knows precisely the film he is making here and awards courting performances did not weigh too heavily on his mind, unlike the fantastic score, which actually should go up for an Oscar next year, being one of the best elements of the movie. It should also go without saying that it is visually spectacular, grand in scope and precise in detail. Despite its lightness in tone and the fact that it is ultimately little more than a huge summer blockbuster, del Toro directs with an assured hand, the likes of which Michael Bay can only dream he had.
This is big, dumb fun, but really good, well designed big, dumb fun. Definitely whets the appetite for what he may have in store if he can ever get Lovecraft's 'At The Mountains of Madness' on to the screen.